Neuropathic pain anticancer agents

V. Other Anticancer Agents that Elicit Neuropathic Pain... 

Elucidation of the mechanism of neuropathic pain caused by vincristine is required because long-term treatment with this anticancer agent often causes neuropathic pain. We refer to the involvement of inflammatory mediators in vincristine-induced neuropathic pain in this review. 

Vincristine, a vinca-alkaloid, prevents proliferation of tumor cells through the inhibition of tubulin polymerization. Vincristine is used as an anticancer agent for leukemia and lymphoma (Himes etal, 1976 Owellen etal., 1976). Clinical use of vincristine is often limited by its adverse effects, which include painful peripheral neuropathy (i.e., neuropathic pain) (Casey et al., 1973 Sandler et al., 1969). Elucidation of the detailed mechanism of neuropathic pain caused by vincristine is needed to improve quality-of-life for patients, and to make vincristine more tolerable for cancer treatment. 

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